Google has just announced its latest flagship smartphones, the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, at a hardware event. Along with impressive hardware features like a temperature sensor and enhanced photo editing tools, the devices also come with significant upgrades to Google Assistant, the company’s AI-powered assistant technology.
Key Takeaway
The upgraded Google Assistant on the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro can summarize and paraphrase web pages, potentially saving users time and providing a more convenient browsing experience.
Improved Web Page Summarization and Translation
One of the standout features of Google Assistant on the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro is its ability to summarize, read aloud, and translate web pages. This feature is an enhanced version of the “read aloud” functionality introduced on Android several years ago. Unlike before, where Assistant read every word on a webpage, including unrelated content, the new AI-powered assistant can now paraphrase the key points using generative models. However, this feature is currently limited to certain languages and countries.
Enhanced Voice Typing and Multilingual Support
Google Assistant on the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro now offers faster voice typing in English, claiming to be twice as fast as before. It also allows users to type, edit, and send messages in multiple languages. The assistant automatically detects the language being spoken and transcribes accordingly. Additionally, Assistant has improved its ability to understand natural conversations, including pauses and disfluencies, for English-speaking users in the U.S.
Realistic-sounding Assistant Voice
Another noteworthy upgrade is the more “realistic-sounding” voice of Assistant, which will engage with callers screened through Google’s Call Screen feature. This feature, introduced on previous Pixel devices, allows Assistant to answer calls and provide options for dealing with them. The updated Call Screen utilizes a “multi-step, multi-turn conversational AI” to determine the identity and purpose of the incoming call. Initially available for English-language callers, this feature enhances the user experience and provides a more seamless interaction.
Improved Call Quality and Spam Detection
Google has also made improvements to call quality on the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro. The Clear Calling feature, which reduces background noise during calls, has been enhanced for clearer-sounding conversations. Additionally, Call Screen now has improved spam call detection and filtering capabilities. During a demo at the event, Google showcased Assistant silently answering a call from an unknown number and engaging in a conversation to determine if it was a spam call. In the future, contextual replies will enable users to navigate phone trees via Assistant without taking a call, further enhancing the call screening experience. Moreover, Call Screen will be available on the upcoming Pixel Watch.
At a Glance Widget and More
Furthermore, the Assistant-powered At a Glance widget on the home screen of the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro has received a new design and now displays more useful information. Users can expect updates on travel, event tickets, and other relevant details directly on their home screens.
These upgrades represent Google’s new generative-AI-first approach to Google Assistant. Earlier this year, it was reported that Google aimed to “reboot” Assistant, focusing on developing new capabilities using generative AI, which includes integration with Bard, Google’s answer to OpenAI’s ChatGPT chatbot. The event also showcased various new Assistant features tied to Bard.
As with previous Assistant features, we can anticipate that many of these enhancements will roll out to previous-generation Pixel smartphones in the coming months.
